Yesterday, PROFS offered testimony in support of Special Session Senate Bill 1 at a public hearing the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Technical Colleges. The legislation was proposed by Governor Tony Evers last month and includes several items that will benefit UW-Madison.
Category: UW System
October Board of Regents Meeting
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Thursday and Friday, October 5 and 6. The open portions of the meeting will be available on Zoom. Regents will also present the Regents Business Partnership Award on Wednesday, October 4.
The Regents participate in committee meetings on Thursday:
- The Audit Committee will hear updates on recently completed audits and the Audit Plan Progress Report and hear an update on cybersecurity, including an update on TikTok and the prohibition of using TikTok on university-owned devices.
- The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will discuss several facilities agreements, including a lease agreement for space to house the Family Medicine Residency program at UW-Madison.The committee will also hear an update on the 2025-31 capital budget plan.
- The Business & Finance Committee will hear reports on program revenue balances and gifts, grants, and contracts. The committee will also hear a presentation from UW-Rivers Falls on financial stability and increased opportunity.
- The Education Committee will hear an update on the implementation of direct admissions and consider four new degree programs, including three at the Wisconsin School of Business.
Regents meet in full session on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. On Thursday, UW System President Jay Rothman and Regent President Karen Walsh will provide updates, and UW-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo will deliver a presentation on how higher education will address the challenges of the greater good in the future. Regents will then move into closed session to discuss personnel evaluations of chancellors and negotiate and confer with counsel certain contractual agreements.
On Friday, the Regents will hear reports and approve committee actions and present the 2023 Staff Excellence Awards. They may also go into an optional closed session.
Our Latest Legislative Update
The update below was shared with more than 100 UW-Madison new faculty members last week.
PROFS Statement on Governor Evers’ Budget Vetoes
PROFS Statement on Passage of the 2023-25 State Budget
June Board of Regents Meeting
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday and Friday, June 8 and 9. The meeting will be held at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, 2419 E. Kenwood Boulevard. Registration to view the meeting remotely is here.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Regents will present the Regents Business Partnership Award to WEC Energy Group. UWM Chancellor Mark Mone will host the Regents at a reception following the award presentation.
The Regents will meet in committee Thursday morning:
- The Audit Committee will hear the 2022-23 NCAA Division I Athletics report, consider approval of the FY24 Audit Plan and FY24 Annual Plan for the Office of Compliance and Risk Management, and hear from UWM on the culture and community of compliance.
- The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will consider a lease agreement for the UW-Madison College of Engineering and a transfer of greenhouse ownership agreement at UW-Madison’s Arlington Research Station, and hear several updates, including one from UWM on capital planning and progress.
- The Budget & Finance Committee will hear several reports and consider approval of an application fee increase for UW-Madison undergraduates, a reduction in segregated fees at UW-Madison and UW-Oshkosh, and various agreements.
- The Education Committee will consider approval of the annual request from the Vilas Trust Fund to UW-Madison and UWM and several new degree programs, including three at UW-Madison. The committee will also hear the 2023 Annual Report of Faculty Promotions.
The full board will meet in closed session Thursday afternoon before attending a reception at the James and Yvonne Ziemer Nursing Simulation Center. On Friday, the Regents may meet in an optional closed session.
PROFS Statement on Joint Finance Committee Action
On Thursday, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee voted along party lines to reject funding for the UW-Madison Engineering Building Project. Our statement on the Committee’s vote is here:
PROFS & ASPRO State Budget Forum
PROFS and ASPRO State Budget Forum
PROFS and ASPRO will host a campus forum on the state budget at 4 pm, Tuesday, May 2 in the Wisconsin Idea Room in the Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall. This event is open to the public and refreshments will be served.
Our panel:
- State Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison), member Colleges & Universities Committee
- State Representative Robert Wittke (R-Racine), member Colleges & Universities Committee
- Crystal Potts, Director of State Relations, UW-Madison
- UW Madison Professor J. Michael Collins (School of Human Ecology and La Follette School of Public Affairs)
PROFS Legislative Representative Jack O’Meara will moderate.
In February, Governor Tony Evers announced a $104 billion spending plan that reflected the state’s record $7.1 billion surplus. The governor’s budget focused on increased funding for K-12 education and aid to local governments, middle-class tax cuts, and seed funding for a paid parental leave program for most of the state’s workers, but Republican leaders said they plan to work off the current base budget and create their own plan in the Joint Finance Committee.
The governor also announced a $3.8 billion capital budget, which directed $1.8 billion to UW System. Evers’ plan included four major projects at UW-Madison: a new Engineering Building, a new Athletics practice facility, new space for the Art Department, and restoration of Music Hall, but his proposal was deadlocked in the State Building Commission, leaving the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee to determine the capital budget as well.
Our panelists will offer insight on what a GOP-crafted budget may look like and how Governor Evers may use his veto authority once the bill reaches his desk later this summer.
March Board of Regents Meeting
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-Stout on Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30. Registration to view livestream coverage of the public sessions of the board is available here. Members of the board will also participate in an awards ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, an informal reception on Wednesday evening, and a polytechnic showcase on late Thursday afternoon.
Regent committees will meet Thursday morning:
- The Audit and Business & Finance Committees will meet jointly to hear an update on the Administrative Transformation Program.
- The Business and Finance Committee will hear a presentation from UW-Stout on the value and cost of polytechnic education, consider approval of 2023-24 tuition rates, review a contract, and hear updates relating to gifts, grants and contracts and trust fund investments.
- The Education Committee will consider approval of several new degree programs, including a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies and a Master of Science in Business: Data, Insight and Analytics at UW-Madison. The committee will also hear a presentation on from UW-Stout on addressing employer needs and participate in a discussion on academic program planning.
- The Audit Committee will be updated on the 2023 audit plan and briefed on recently released audits.
- The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will consider granting permission for several UW managed design and construction projects at UW-Madison, including the East Recreation Fields and Chemistry lab renovations. UW-Madison will host a discussion on the West Campus District Plan and UW-Stout will host a presentation on intentional strategic planning.
The full board will meet Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. On Thursday, the Regents will hear updates from UW System President Jay Rothman and Board of Regents President Karen Walsh. The Regents will also approve 2023-24 tuition rates and hear presentations from UW-Stout and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before going into closed session to discuss several items, including honorary degrees, student appeals, and the search process and strategies for a UW-Madison position.
On Friday, the board will hear committee updates and consider approval of action from the previous day, hear an update on improving student accessibility, and present the Board of Regents 2023 Teaching Excellence Awards.